With Couture finally done, UFC boss has no regrets sending "The Natural" into the cage

TORONTO – It was no way for a UFC Hall of Famer to exit the octagon for the final time.

The legendary Randy Couture, the self-professed hero of UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan and countless other MMA fans, was flattened by a Lyoto Machida leaping front kick in the second round of the pair’s UFC 129 main-event matchup.

Teeth freshly missing as he told Toronto’s Rogers Centre crowd that at 47 years old he was finally done fighting, Couture’s exit wasn’t glorious. But UFC president Dana White, whose offer to fight Machida encouraged Couture to stave off retirement after defeating James Toney, says he has no regret about arranging the ill-fated matchup.

“You know what?” White asked MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Now you know. You’ve got to have that one last fight against a tough guy. It’s always good to go out with a win, but it’s rarely ever done.

“As incredible of a human being as Randy is, that’s what he’s done his whole career. You test yourself against other men, and then the one day you show up, and you go, ‘OK. Now I get it.'”

The message was painfully clear from the opening bell. Couture was simply too slow to catch up with “The Dragon,” and he never came close to taking his opponent to the floor, where “The Natural” seemed best fit to hunt for a victory.

Instead, Machida utilized his speed to maneuver away from Couture, and as the bout wore on, his attacks became more aggressive and varied in nature. Then came the finish.

A blow reminiscent of Anderson Silva’s UFC 126 stoppage of Vitor Belfort, the kick saw Couture crumple to the floor. When Couture finally rose to his feet after suffering a second-round knockout loss, White said the damage was evident.

“He thought he got hit with a punch,” White said. “I went up into the octagon to talk to him. I went, ‘Are you alright?’ He says, ‘Yeah. He hit me in the tooth.’ And the tooth fell out while he was showing me. I said, ‘That’s alright. We’ll get you a new one – a better one than that – when we get back to Las Vegas.'”

Despite the loss, the Toronto crowd didn’t waver in their support of the MMA legend, and Couture was cheered wildly as he shook out the cobwebs. White said he was moved by the gesture, which he considered more than appropriate.

“It was awesome,” White said. “The pre-fight press conference that I did with you guys, I said I don’t think we celebrate Randy Couture enough. Everybody went crazy when (boxer) George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer at [45 years old]. He was on he cover of everything. This guy’s 47 years old, and he’s still fighting with these 27-year-olds. He still trains with all these guys. He’s an amazing human being.”

White had suggested earlier in the week that he would keep Couture’s phone number handy should interesting matchups develop in the future, but the UFC boss said he’s now changed his mind. Fourteen years after Couture’s UFC area first began – incredible when you consider that the run started a month prior to his 33rd birthday – it’s now clearly over, and no one is questioning the validity of Couture’s claim that he’s hanging the gloves up for good.

White said he thinks it’s the right call, and he praises a man he considers both a friend and an incredible influence on the sport.

“I think Randy should retire, too,” White said. “It’s a perfect time to retire. He went out on a high. He went seven minutes with Machida. That’s still a big deal when you’re 47 years old.

“I was just signing autographs with the fans, and my back is killing me, man – and I’m 42. To go in there with Machida at 47 and do the things this guy can do, he’s an incredible human being. He’s been a great ambassador for the sport. He’s been great for the brand. I love Randy Couture.”

For more complete coverage of UFC 129, check out the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.com.

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